Ask any working family what their biggest monthly expense is, and you’ll often hear the same answer: housing. For low- and moderate-income households in Lincoln, finding quality, affordable housing near schools, services, and jobs can feel nearly impossible.
That’s why Lincoln needs innovative housing solutions—ones that don’t just add affordable units but integrate them into vibrant, mixed-income neighborhoods. And Foxtail Meadows is doing just that.
Reimagining What a Neighborhood Can Be
Located in Southwest Lincoln, Foxtail Meadows is the first development of its kind in the area. It’s a new kind of neighborhood—designed from the ground up to blend affordable and market-rate housing into one cohesive, walkable community.
“Foxtail Meadows represents a novel way of considering neighborhood development,” said Fred Hoppe, principal of Hoppe Development. “Affordability is a community asset. It belongs in highly desirable areas of town, not on the margins.”
Pictured: Sign advertising in-unit washer and dryer amenities in the Foxtail Meadows neighborhood. Photo credit: Charles Haacker, April 10, 2025
Through thoughtful planning and dozens of partnerships, Foxtail Meadows is creating a new blueprint for how Lincoln can grow—one that values architectural quality, family-friendly design, and access to opportunity for all.
Building Community Through Collaboration
The partnership began after Hoppe Development, having purchased land adjacent to Hope Community Church, approached the church as a neighbor. Hope quickly recognized the opportunity to play a larger role in the development and sold excess land to help bring the vision to life. Together, they designed a neighborhood that would both respect the church’s needs and serve the broader community.
The City of Lincoln also played a key role, providing tax increment financing (TIF) and Lincoln on the Move infrastructure funds to help make the site developable and accessible.
“As the City of Lincoln works to ensure high-quality homes for everyone in our community, we value the opportunity to partner on visionary affordable housing projects like Foxtail Meadows,” said Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird. “We approved the use of tax-increment financing and road infrastructure funds to help get this project across the finish line so that more people can put down roots and build a better future in Lincoln.”
“This was exactly the kind of partnership we were looking for,” said Matt Osmond, a Hope Community Church member who led the land negotiations. “Jake and Fred Hoppe’s vision aligned with the church’s—creating a community we’d be proud to have next door.”
Pictured: Hope Community Church with affordable multifamily apartments in the background. Photo credit: Charles Haacker, April 10, 2025, Foxtail Meadows Neighborhood
Hope Community Church remains an anchor in the neighborhood and continues to collaborate on community spaces, including a planned pavilion for both residents and church members.
Housing for All, Integrated by Design
Foxtail Meadows isn’t just adding affordable housing—it’s redefining how and where it exists.
The development will include up to 650 housing units, with about one-third designated as affordable. The first phase includes 176 affordable rental units, mostly large three- and four-bedroom townhomes—meeting a growing need for family-sized, affordable housing. Units are available for households earning 60% of Area Median Income (AMI) and below.
Pictured: Affordable housing sign with apartments in the background. Photo credit: Charles Haacker, April 10, 2025, Foxtail Meadows Neighborhood
In addition to rental units, the project includes 30 for-sale homes. Thirteen of those are in partnership with Habitat for Humanity, and 17 are part of a downpayment assistance program with Nebraska Housing Resource to help moderate-income families achieve homeownership.
“There’s no way to tell which units are affordable and which are market-rate just by walking through the neighborhood,” said Jake Hoppe. “That was intentional. We designed it so families of all income levels could live side-by-side and thrive.”
Designed for Dignity and Long-Term Impact
Foxtail Meadows was built with a “missing middle” housing approach—featuring walkable streets, pocket parks, community gardens, solar energy, and different housing types. Residents can enjoy a basketball court, fitness center, nearby YMCA Wright Park, and future commercial spaces like a coffee shop or small grocery store.
“There’s an early elementary school going in nearby, trails on Folsom, and access to parks—it’s the kind of neighborhood that families want to be part of,” Hoppe explained.
Pictured: YMCA Wright Park within walking distance from the Foxtail Meadows Neighborhood. Photo credit: Charles Haacker, April 10, 2025
The development also includes plans for housing units specifically designed for refugee families in partnership with Good Neighbor Community Center. With infrastructure already in place, the neighborhood can flexibly support future programs and evolving community needs.
The Role of Prosper Lincoln and the Lincoln Community Foundation
Behind the scenes, the Lincoln Community Foundation (LCF) played a critical role in making Foxtail Meadows possible. Through its nonprofit partner, Community Development Resources (CDR), LCF provided creative financing tools that enabled land acquisition, bridged infrastructure funding gaps, and ensured the project could move forward without delay.
This work is a direct response to the Prosper Lincoln agenda, which elevated affordable housing as a top community priority. In alignment with Prosper Lincoln’s vision for economic equity and opportunity, LCF stepped in with flexible, strategic capital to help make projects like Foxtail Meadows a reality.
“LCF’s support didn’t come in the form of just grants—it was strategic capital that unlocked opportunity,” said Hoppe. “Without their flexible financing options, we wouldn’t have been able to close key funding gaps or move as quickly.”
By investing in Foxtail Meadows, LCF and Prosper Lincoln are demonstrating how creative, community-driven development can unlock real change—not just in bricks and mortar, but in lives.
Pictured: A resident uses a wheelchair to visit the leasing office. Photo credit: Charles Haacker, April 10, 2025, Foxtail Meadows Neighborhood
“At the Lincoln Community Foundation, we believe that strong communities start with stable housing,” said Tracy Edgerton, President of LCF. “Foxtail Meadows is a powerful example of what’s possible when we invest in bold ideas and bring partners together to meet shared goals. This development isn’t just creating homes—it’s creating opportunity, belonging, and a new model for how Lincoln can grow equitably.”
Looking Ahead: A Model for the Future
The long-term vision for Foxtail Meadows is more than a neighborhood. It’s a living case study of how thoughtful partnerships, inclusive design, and flexible financing can solve one of Lincoln’s most pressing challenges: the affordable housing crisis.
“Affordable housing used to rely on trickle-down development,” said Hoppe. “But that’s no longer enough. Communities need purpose-built, inclusive housing strategies—and that’s what we’re building here.”
The hope is that other developers—and cities—take note.
As Osmond put it, “We’re creating a community that reflects our values—one where families of all kinds can belong. That’s the kind of neighborhood Lincoln needs more of.”
With the support of the Lincoln Community Foundation, Prosper Lincoln, and other like-minded community partners, Foxtail Meadows is proving that when we invest in housing as infrastructure, we’re not just building homes—we’re building the future of Lincoln.